Trashy ornament and fancy articles are among the most
formidable enemies to the formation of taste. We must
therefore try to inculcate some right ideas upon this subject.
The Universality of Ornament. — Call attention to the uni-
versality of ornament. The doors, the windows, the desks
in the school, the furniture in the home, the vehicles on the
streets, every article of common use — all have some mould-
ing, or turning, or carving, or trimming which has nothing
to do with the actual use of the object, but Avhich is in-
tended solely for ornament — to make the objects more
pleasing to those who use them — and, it should be, to those
who make them.
If we look about us in our homes we can see how many
useless, meaningless things we have — things which can
afford us no lasting pleasure, and which could have given
none to the makers.
Things in which Ornament interferes with Use. — There are
the cushions, pillows, and footstools beaded, spangled, and
bef rilled so that we carefully push them aside when we are
in need of such things ; there are the monstrous lamp-shades
of silk and lace, or crimped paper, which threaten nightly
conflagrations and serve to produce spasms of apprehension
in those who attempt to make a light ; chairs too fine to use,
and many another monument to wasted money and labor.
A Waste of Fine Materials. — Then there are the fancy arti-
cles in which fine materials are misused to represent forms
utterly incongruous with those materials ; such as red velvet
fiddles and banjos with gold cord strings (note others at the
fancy goods counters at holiday seasons).
Things in the Wrong Place. — There are strange conceits
THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL 23
in table appliances : such as coal-scuttles and buckets for
sugar holders ; beehives and tubs for butter dishes; silver
owls, with myriads of cruel holes punched in their heads,
for pepper and salt dusters. — Surely no real pleasure can
be taken in such things, and they are less convenient than
the plain simple vessels whose places they have usurped.
Meaningless Trifles. — Then there are the meaningless
trifles we set about on our tables and shelves for "orna-
ments " — such as vases and tea-cups that will hold nothing;
tea-pots in the forms of birds and dragons, and numberless
other absurdities.
A Test of Fitness. — I do not mean to say that we may not
have ornaments of fine workmanship and material made in
any of these forms, but the vase must be adapted to hold
flowers and the cup to hold tea, because holding something
is the office of these things ; we may also have ornaments
in the forms of birds and dragons, but they should not be
turned into tea-pots. This is Mr. Morris's meaning when
he declares, " No article is beautiful unless it is also useful."
These lists can be multiplied and a great deal of harmless
amusement gotten out of them.
Simplicity and Economy. — Make a strong plea for sim-
plicity and economy in the household. Apart from the
question of good taste, the superfluous articles with which
we load our houses add to the burden of whoever has to
care for them and take money which could be better spent.
Page 15
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Trashy ornament and fancy articles are among the most formidable enemies to the formation of taste. We must therefore try to inculcate some right ideas upon this subject.
The Universality of Ornament. — Call attention to the universality of ornament. The doors, the windows, the desks in the school, the furniture in the home, the vehicles on the streets, every article of common use — all have some moulding, or turning, or carving, or trimming which has nothing to do with the actual use of the object, but which is intended solely for ornament — to make the objects more pleasing to those who use them — and, it should be, to those who make them.
If we look about us in our homes we can see how many useless, meaningless things we have — things which can afford us no lasting pleasure, and which could have given none to the makers.
Things in which Ornament interferes with Use. — There are the cushions, pillows, and footstools beaded, spangled, and befrilled so that we carefully push them aside when we are in need of such things ; there are the monstrous lamp-shades of silk and lace, or crimped paper, which threaten nightly conflagrations and serve to produce spasms of apprehension in those who attempt to make a light ; chairs too fine to use, and many another monument to wasted money and labor.
A Waste of Fine Materials. — Then there are the fancy articles in which fine materials are misused to represent forms utterly incongruous with those materials ; such as red velvet fiddles and banjos with gold cord strings (note others at the fancy goods counters at holiday seasons).
Things in the Wrong Place. — There are strange conceits
in table appliances : such as coal-scuttles and buckets for sugar holders ; beehives and tubs for butter dishes; silver owls, with myriads of cruel holes punched in their heads, for pepper and salt dusters. — Surely no real pleasure can be taken in such things, and they are less convenient than the plain simple vessels whose places they have usurped.
Meaningless Trifles. — Then there are the meaningless trifles we set about on our tables and shelves for "ornaments " — such as vases and tea-cups that will hold nothing; tea-pots in the forms of birds and dragons, and numberless other absurdities.
A Test of Fitness. — I do not mean to say that we may not have ornaments of fine workmanship and material made in any of these forms, but the vase must be adapted to hold flowers and the cup to hold tea, because holding something is the office of these things ; we may also have ornaments in the forms of birds and dragons, but they should not be turned into tea-pots. This is Mr. Morris's meaning when he declares, " No article is beautiful unless it is also useful."
These lists can be multiplied and a great deal of harmless amusement gotten out of them.
Simplicity and Economy. — Make a strong plea for simplicity and economy in the household. Apart from the question of good taste, the superfluous articles with which we load our houses add to the burden of whoever has to care for them and take money which could be better spent.